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Sponge industry not dead yet

Sponge industry not dead yet 

Re: Plan for survival must look at new realities editorial, Dec. 22

After reading the Times editorial, I feel the only one in need of a reality check is, in fact, the St. Petersburg Times.

Yes, the commercial fisheries are in decline and have been for the last 10 years. There are many reasons for this, and each industry has it own unique problems, but primarily they do share common economic pressures, such as escalating operational and maintenance cost, declining product because of pollution, Red Tide, overfishing and regulation.

Despite all the challenges the commercial fishing industry has, I have no doubt that as long as there are sponges in the gulf, boats will be out harvesting them. As long as there are shrimp, stone crabs and fish, commercial boats will be catching them.

The question has never been whether there will be a fishing fleet, but rather will we be able to maintain and keep our support industries that are so crucial to our survival, or will we be pushed out to other ports to make room for private marinas, condos and unrelated mixed uses?

So before the St. Petersburg Times declares this tiny cog called the sponge industry officially dead, and under its "new realities program" brings in the kayaking fleet to take our place at the Sponge Docks, we need to have a few more meetings.

Jeff Love, president, Sponge Associates of Florida Inc., Tarpon Springs

Re: During season, show tolerance letter, Dec. 28

Government has to serve all of us

Letter writer Joyce Capaldo states that "acceptance and open-mindedness are values we should all strive for." While I agree with that statement, making the assumption that others in our community also agree and do their best to live their lives accordingly is dangerous.

Separation of church and state is a moral imperative if we are also to strive for a community without prejudice, discrimination, inequality and intolerance. Our government exists to serve all of us, not just people of any one particular religion, culture, race or ideology.

If every individual is to feel free and welcome into their own places of government, then there must not be even any appearance of bias against them because of their religion, culture, race or ideology.

I concur with Brad Messick's letter (Religious display is inappropriate, Dec. 22) and thank him for his courage in speaking out when he believes something is wrong.

Belle Catharine, Dunedin

Developer came and scarred lot

I live in a subdivision about a mile up from the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs, next to the Kash n' Karry strip mall. Your paper should really get a picture of what some developer did to our community and the surrounding forest area, which he purchased in front of our community.

It once was a place of natural beauty, filled with animals, birds, trees, plants and native flowers. Now it's an ugly, barren desert that some developer left us to look at when we exit and enter our subdivision. It sits right outside Alt. U.S. 19 at the front entrance of our subdivision.

The developer promised us all at meetings that he would not hurt us in any manner with the building of these future townhomes. He promised us lovely landscaped and well-built construction that would complement our own values.

When the prices of homes dropped in Pinellas County, he did nothing but bulldoze the land and trees to a sand pile and then put up a "For Sale" sign. Why couldn't he have left the natural area alone if he had no intent to build like he said? Now the damage is done and it's just plain ugly for all to see.

If you sent someone to take a picture of the outside of Forest Ridge, where the sign reads "The last great community," you would understand the horror that this developer did to the beauty of Tarpon Springs.

This is called progress? I think it looks like a war zone, with huge mountains of chopped-up mulch, weeds, sand and plastic construction sheeting lying where a once-natural small forest was.

Roseanne Fenton, Tarpon Springs

Not another cent for the profligate

Renew the Penny for Pinellas? No!

I have yet to see the Pinellas County government or any of the local city governments show me how and why they wasted the tens of millions of dollars in excess property tax revenue they received during the housing value boom of the last few years.

Instead of substantially reducing property taxes and formulating a sensible five-year budget and hiring freeze (Our population leveled off a few years back, so why are government employment levels still growing throughout Pinellas?), they have spent every penny.

And get this, now they want you to vote for another 10 years of the penny sales tax. Talk about nuts!

How many residents in Pinellas have not been affected by the increased costs of living in this county? Special interests and the local governments get too much of your money now. You do not want to throw more at them. Remember they are even spending your tax dollars to advertise for a new tax.

Appreciate all you did to earn your money - the government doesn't.

R. Ihrie, Clearwater

Your voice counts

You may submit a letter to the editor for possible publication through our Web site at www.tampabay.com/letters, or by faxing it to (727) 445-4119, or by mailing it to Letters, 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. You must include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length.

[Last modified January 1, 2007, 07:18:22]